Dark underarms can make you feel embarrassed and reluctant to put on a sleeveless shirt. The dark pigmentation, even after shaving, can have a variety of causes, and you may want to consider seeing a dermatologist. But you might also consider some simple remedies that could lighten your underarms.
Step 1
Exfoliate your underarms when you're in the shower. What looks like dark skin could actually be pores that are clogged with dead skin, dirt and oil, Dr. Richard Asarch, dermatologist and director of the Asarch Center for Dermatology, Laser & Skin Rejuvenation in Englewood, Colo., told Cosmopolitan magazine. Purchase a scrub with abrasive ingredients at a drugstore or make your own by combining a cup of brown sugar with a quarter cup of olive oil and mixing it into a paste. Apply to your underarms and rub in a circular motion once or twice a week.
Step 2
Apply a light, noncomedogenic moisturizer to your underarms daily to help ward off the dry, dead skin that can clog pores and create dark underarms. Allow the moisturizer to dry before getting dressed or applying other products.
Step 3
Use a different form of hair removal. If you tend to shave your underarms, the darkness you see may be emerging stubble. Shaving cuts the hair at the surface of the skin, making it look darker when it grows back. By switching to waxing, you remove the hair at the root, notes Kids Health, a Nemours Foundation website. The hair grows back finer, so it is less noticeable.
Step 4
Switch the brand of antiperspirant or deodorant that you use, suggests The Beauty Brains website. The darkness could be your skin's reaction to the active ingredients in your favorite products. Look for products made especially for sensitive skin that are fragrance-free.
Step 5
Schedule an appointment with your dermatologist if simple lifestyle changes don't seem to remedy the problem. You could have a more serious condition, such as acanthosis nigricans, a condition that darkens the skin in certain areas of the body, says the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Hyperpigmentation and allergic reactions should be diagnosed and treated by a dermatologist. Never attempt to bleach your skin without a dermatologist's supervision.
Things You'll Need
- Scrub
- Moisturizer
- Antiperspirant
- Wax kit
Member Comments